micromanage

verb

mi·​cro·​man·​age ˌmī-krō-ˈma-nij How to pronounce micromanage (audio)
micromanaged; micromanaging; micromanages

transitive verb

: to manage especially with excessive control or attention to details

intransitive verb

: to direct or conduct the activities of a group or an enterprise by micromanaging them
micromanagement noun
micromanager noun

Examples of micromanage in a Sentence

He micromanaged every detail of the budget.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The nation’s 2014 coup d’etat was commonly ascribed to a desire by the nation’s elites to micromanage the transition to King Vajiralongkorn. Charlie Campbell, Time, 26 June 2025 The trustees are supposed to provide guidance and oversight but not to manage — and definitely not to micromanage. Luis A. Nunes Amaral, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025 Add Value And Deliver Without Micromanagement Managing up means making your boss’s job easier by staying ahead, communicating clearly and delivering without being micromanaged. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 The feds’ case portrayed the mogul as a ruthless and micromanaging boss who, during the two decades before his September 2024 arrest, abused his larger-than-life status in the industry to control his employees and lovers alike through violence and intimidation. Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for micromanage

Word History

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of micromanage was in 1976

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Micromanage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/micromanage. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on micromanage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!